Refrigerating counter



T. J ANSTEY REFRIGERATING COUNTER Filed Sept 3 1925 Aug 3 1926.

INVEN TOR .fl. M

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNITED STATES TRACY J. ANSTEY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

REFRIGERATING COUNTER.

Application filed September 3, 1925. Serial No. 54,234.

My invention relates to refrigerating counters of the closed type, andmore particularly to such a counter wherein the cooled air is kept incirculation by a secondary cooling coil therein and spaced remotelyabove the main coils.

Ordinary refrigerating counters provided with refrigerating pipes onlybelow the tray on which food articles are displayed and temporarilystored, are defective in the respect that the circulation of cold air isinsufiicient for keeping the food at the most .efliclent preservingtemperature.

The reason for the lack of proper circulation in such counters is thatthe cold air will stay at the bottom, While the warm air arising rom thefood will seek the highest level, so that the tendency is to form twodistinctly separate strata of air and that therefore, if the counterwere not opened occasionally, a stagnant condition would prevail andthus the food, instead of being preserved, would be spoiled within ashort time.

As a remedy for this condition in refrigerating counters myinventioncomprises in combination with the system of refrigerating pipes belowthe food tray, refrigerating pipes above the tray and at one side of thecounter, and means for leading the warmed air to and over the last-namedpipes so that it may pass as a continuous stream of cold air over andaround the food and thus preserve the food for a reasonable length oftime. 36

In the drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is aperspective view showing a part of a refrigerating counter with one endpartially broken away and constructed according to the principle of myinvention; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the counter directly in frontof the end wall.

In a counter 5, which may be of a conventional construction and adaptedto rest with its base 6 upon a suitable structure, not shown, I provideat .its bottom the usual system of refrigerating pipes 7 and a removabletray, comprising spaced transverse slats 8 for display andstorage offood articles 9 thereon; the tray and the pipes extending practicallythrough the whole length of the counter and the tray being supportedupon longitudinal supporting members 10 of a height adapted to hold thetray above the refrigerating pipes.

At the front of the base is a longitudinal recess 11 into which is setthe Wall 12, which preferably is made of lass or other transparentmaterial, the ot or side or rear of the counter may consist of slidingdoors 13, 14, retained in the base by a longitudinal recess 15 and by atongue-and-groo-ve connection, as shown at 1'5, and being retained in arear section 16 of the top of the counter by other tongue-and-grooveconnections, as at 17. Beside the rear section 16 the top also comprisesa front section 18, which, like the front wall 12, preferably is made ofglass or other transparent material and is supported at its front'edgeupon the front wall 12 and at its rear edge upon the front wall 19 of acasing 20, so' that the upper surface of the section 18 is in the sameplane as the upper surface of the rear section 16.

The casing 20, which extends longitudinally from one end wall 21 to theother end wall of the counter 5. and is secured to the end walls in anysuitable, manner, comprises, beside the front wall 19, a closed bottom-22 and a rear wall 23, while the top section 16 of the counter alsoserves as a top for the casing. The rear wall 23 is joined to the bottom22 and is spaced apart from the side'of the casing, which side comprisesthe sliding doors 14, 13, and is also spaced from the top of thecounter, so that an opening 24 is formed at the top of the rear wall 23and extends the whole length thereof, thus, a passage 25 is provided between the rear wall of the casing and the rear side of the counter. Anopening 26 is also formed in the front wall 19 of the casing and extendsthe whole length of the said wall and is narrower and lower than theopening 24 at the top. of the rear wall 23, the front wall 19 beingsuitably joined to the top 16 and to the bottom 22 and to the end wallsof the counter.

Within, and at the bottom of, the casing" away therefrom, and alsoanother drain 29 under the pipes 7 is $ovided for the draining of thecounter. ads of cork or other moisture-resisting material may beprovided .under the base 6 of the counter for insulation'purposes.

' In practice, the heat radiating from the food 9 will cause, the airwarmed thereby to rise to the topof the counter. However, sincetheopening 26 in the. front wall 19 of the casing is narrower than, andalso below the level of, the opening 24 at the top *of the rear wall 23,the expanded warm air will travel through the passa e 25 and passthrough the opening 24 an then, as its progress is checked at the top ofthe front wall 19, it will be forced to'travel to' and over the pipes27, where it will be chilled and contracted and pass therefrom as coldair through the restricted front wall opening, from which it will bedirected as a continuous stream of cold air over and around said, food,and thus an effective circulation results, the arrows in'Fig. 2

' indicating the path of travel of the circuto the said bottom andspaced-apart from the said side of the counter and from the said top sothat an opening is formed at the top of the rear wall and a passage isprovided between the rear wall of the easing and the side wall of thecounter, and a front wall joined to the said top and to the said bottomand having an opening therein below the opening in the rear wall,

the arrangement of the casing being such that the warmed air will travelthrough said passage and through the opening at the top of the rear Walland then will be forced to pass downward to and over the lastnamed pipesand through the opening in the front wall and will be directed as acontinuous stream of cold air over and around said food.

2. In combination with a refrigerating counter of the class describedhaving there in atray for display and storage of food thereon and asystem of refrigerating pipes below said tray, (1) refrigerating pipesabove the tray and at one side wall of the counter; and (2) a casinsurrounding the last-named pipes, the casing comprising a .closed top, aclosed bottom, a rear wall joined to the saidbottom and spaced apartfrom the said side wall of the counter and from the said top so that anopening is formed at the ,top of the rear wall and ex-, tends the wholelength thereof and a passage is provided between the said rear wall ofthe casing and the said side wall of the counter. and a front walljoined to the said top and to the said bottom and having an openingtherein below the opening in the said rear wall, said front-wall openingextending the whole length of the wall and being narrower and lower thanthe opening at the said rear wall, the last-named pipes being supportedon the bottom of the casing, and the arrangement of the casing beingsuch that the expandedwarmed air will travel through the said passageand pass through the opening at the top of the said rear wall and thenwill be forced downward to and over the last-named pipes, where it willbe chilled and contracted and pass there-from as cold air through thesaid a front wallopening and from which it will be directed as acontinuous stream of cold air over and around said food.

In testimony whereof, I. affix my signature.

TRACY J. ANSTEY.

